The national organization behind the Jimmy’s youth meeting center is divesting six walk-in places throughout the Netherlands, including the one on Kolhoopstraat in Emmen. The municipality of Emmen would like to keep that place and is paying for it. From January 1, Emmer Jimmy’s will continue under a new name and will be part of the welfare organization Sedna.
Jimmy’s is a place where young people can go for all kinds of questions, to chill out or to do homework. Jimmy’s opened its doors at De Baander in Emmen in 2017 and later moved to Kolhoopstraat. There were plans to open a second Drenthe Jimmy’s in Assen, but that ultimately did not happen. Jimmy’s has a total of six locations throughout the Netherlands.
The organization announced in November that it would be getting rid of these physical walk-in places. Councilor Dewy Keen thinks it would be a shame if the location in Emmen were to cease to exist. “Young people can go there for questions, initiatives and social contacts.” It is an important meeting place that she believes should remain.
After it became known that Jimmy’s was closing, the municipality and Sedna looked together at how it could remain open. Earlier this year, the municipality already provided half a million euros for additional youth work to Sedna.
To keep Jimmy’s open, more than 163,000 euros will be added in 2025. According to Keen, this last amount was already intended for the center and therefore no additional money is needed.
What might change is the location. Jimmy’s is now located in a former office building on the edge of the center. Not ideal and, according to the alderman, a location in the center would be more appropriate. “I do not immediately have a location available. But the intended new location for Facet on Mondriaanplein could be a possibility.”
A coordinator, Pirmin Rengers, works at Jimmy’s. According to the councilor, he will stay on for the time being. The core of Jimmy’s currently consists of more than 100 young people in varying compositions. According to the organization, more than 800 young people outside that regular group have used Jimmy’s.